


Look at Me

by Lisa_Kay



Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst, Arguing, Conflict of Interests, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, I love these evil kids, One Shot, Redemption
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-25
Updated: 2019-01-25
Packaged: 2019-10-15 22:25:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17537456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lisa_Kay/pseuds/Lisa_Kay
Summary: Emerald hates Mercury at first. Then she doesn't mind him. Then she might actually like him. And suddenly she's like oh fUCK IM IN LOVE(I'm bad at summaries)





	Look at Me

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first RWBY fic. I love these two and they don't get enough love!   
> There will be more chapters!

She did not know what to make of Cinder at first. 

 _It's a trap,_ she kept telling herself.  _Once she gets what she wants, I'll be tossed aside. She's just like everyone else I've met in my life._

For the first few weeks, she kept her distance from the woman, only speaking when necessary and acting when instructed. It was a force of habit. 

Until. 

"How young were you when your parents abandoned you?" 

No question had startled her more. The hotel room had been eerily silent for hours. Cinder had been buried in some book, and suddenly she had tossed it to the side. 

She was looking right at Emerald. 

"Me?" 

Cinder smiled.  _Since when did she do that?_ "Yes, you. You've been awfully quiet and while I appreciate your obedience, it saddens me that I do not know that much about you." 

Emerald's usual response to a situation like this would be to ignore the question or lie, but she had a feeling that Cinder wouldn't leave the subject alone. "I was six."

"And you're how old now? Sixteen?" 

"Seventeen last week." 

"Oh." This seemed to genuinely surprise Cinder. "You didn't say anything." 

Emerald shrugged. "I don't celebrate stuff like that." 

"That was before, right?" 

"Before what?" 

There was something different about the way Cinder was behaving. Over the past month or so, Emerald had known her to be cruel and manipulative, uncaring towards anything or anyone but herself and her own goals. Any time she smiled, it was out of murderous glee. But now there seemed to be something soft and natural about her actions. "Before I found you." 

Instead of spending the nights in silence, Emerald and Cinder suddenly started to stay up late gossiping and swapping stories. Instead of spending empty days alone, they went everywhere together. 

Emerald suddenly found herself staring at Cinder in awe instead of avoiding her gaze. 

Emerald felt her feet run to Cinder whenever she returned from a mission, and even though she always came back  _(Cinder_ always _came back),_ she couldn't help but worry a bit. Remnant was a dangerous world full of dangerous people. 

But no one was as dangerous as Cinder. 

**"Child, why are you here?"**

Scratch that. 

There was one person worse than Cinder. 

Only one person whose voice caused Emerald's blood to run cold.

And the more Emerald thought about it, the less she saw that individual as human. 

Salem's cool demeanor did not fool Emerald. She knew there was a storm brewing deep in those crimson eyes. 

"Don't be scared," Cinder scoffed when Emerald voiced her fear. "She's nothing. Once I have the power I desire,  _she'll_ bow before  _me._ "

* * *

Admiration. 

_That's what I'm feeling._

_It's admiration._

Cinder was like a sister to Emerald. 

She cared. 

 _No matter who comes out on top_ (Cinder  **always** comes out on top),  _we'll be together._

_Just us._

_That's all I want._

_Just us._

* * *

"Where are we going?" Emerald asked for the ninth time. Cinder had not told her anything, which wasn't like her. They had been on the road for a few days, and Cinder had been unusually happy, yet silent. 

"I believe they say 'patience is a virtue', don't they?" Cinder smirked. "We're going to recruit an assassin - Marcus Black. He will make our job considerably easier. I think a trio is fitting, don't you think?" 

Emerald felt her heart sink. "A third party member? What for?" 

"Things aren't happening fast enough. Salem wants everything ready before the Vytal Festival, but remember... we need to act like students for most of the first semester, and during the tournament. We should probably keep someone busy out in the kingdom while we observe the students inside the walls, yes?" 

Her logic was flawless, as usual. 

But it still bothered Emerald. 

For the past three months, nothing had changed. 

It had just been the both of them. 

 _You're overreacting,_ she told herself.  _It's not like a grown man is gonna be attending Haven with us anyway._

"Yes. You make a good point." 

* * *

 

Emerald could smell the blood and brimstone from the forest, and Cinder held her back as they watched Marcus Black fight with a younger looking man. 

 _"You wanted this, didn't you?"_ The boy screamed.  _"I'm stronger! So strong I'm going to take back what belongs to me!"_

Emerald glanced helplessly at Cinder. "Shouldn't we help the assassin? He might get killed." 

"If he does..." Cinder's wry smile spread. "-he's not as good as they say, and this was a waste of time." 

 _So why is she smiling?_ Emerald wondered as she kept watching the fight unfold. 

_What is she thinking?_

* * *

At some point in the fight, Emerald realized that she had begun rooting for the other man. He seemed so determined to win, unlike the assassin, who fought like he had done this a thousand times. Emerald had seen it on more than one occasion. 

The boy was going to walk away from this. 

He  _had_ to. 

* * *

Marcus Black was dead. 

He fell over, defeated, and Emerald and could see his haunting, pale blue eyes roll in the back of his head. 

The boy's legs were shredded and beaten. Emerald was surprised he had not fallen over himself. 

It was silent for a few moments. The boy looked at Marcus. Emerald could not detect any emotion from where she and Cinder were stationed. 

"Get up you monster," Emerald could barely hear him. "I win, so get up off of your ass and keep your promise." 

The corpse said nothing. 

"Didn't you hear me? I said get up!"

Cinder's wicked smirk was the only thing making any semblance of sound.  

"No...." The boy grabbed Marcus by the collar of his shirt and shook his limp body senseless. "Don't you dare.... don't you  _fucking_ dare. You promised..... you said that once I was stronger, you'd give it back! I'm stronger now!" He was shouting now, and something about his furious tone unsettled Emerald. She knew this was just some fight. She had seen hundreds like it. But the air surrounding the battle she had just witnessed was different from the others. "You fucking bastard.... Give it back!" He was screaming. Emerald could hear him struggling for breath. She was confused. He was not mourning the death of Marcus, was he? "Give it back!" 

No. 

"How curious," Cinder mused. "It seems there's more to this child than meets the eye, wouldn't you say, dear Emerald?" 

Emerald didn't respond. She was too engrossed in this boy's behavior. 

He threw Marcus' corpse back on the ground. "Fucking useless," he spat. "Of course you'd die. Of course that's the only way, isn't it? The only way for you to keep what I've been wanting for so many years," he spat on the body. "Fucking perfect." 

"Well... better late than never, right?" Cinder nudged Emerald and smiled genuinely. "Let's go introduce ourselves, shall we?" 

* * *

Watts provided Mercury with new legs. 

Tyrian implied that Emerald would be replaced. 

Hazel comforted her. 

Salem could not care less. 

**"As long as you succeed. That is all that matters."**

* * *

It did not get to her at first. The plan had been altered a bit. That was fine. Cinder would make it work. 

But still. 

Things weren't the same. 

Cinder had started to distance herself again. It was almost like she assumed Emerald would just adapt. But she couldn't. Not after finding someone like Cinder. Not after realizing what she truly meant to Emerald. 

Cinder was like family. 

The only family Emerald had ever known. 

Emerald wanted to like Mercury. For Cinder's sake she wanted to like him. 

But he was arrogant. 

Idiotic. 

He got on her nerves. 

_It's just temporary. Once the school year begins, he'll just stay in between kingdoms._

Emerald did not know that Salem would change the plan. 

**"Leonardo seems to have found a few characters who will aide us in Mountain Glenn and Anima. Mercury Black.... you can attend Haven Academy with Cinder and Emerald. I trust that won't be a problem?"**

"It won't."

* * *

"We don't need him! Everything was going fine!  _Ah!"_ Emerald winced as Cinder's palm hit her hard on the side of her face. Ashamed, she looked up to see bright yellow eyes, brimming with fury. 

 _"Do not mistake your place."_ Cinder hissed. 

 _Oh,_ Emerald nodded.  _Of course. It's not her fault. I shouldn't burden her like this. Salem was the one who came up with it._

And even for all the Lien in the world, Emerald would not defy Salem. 

* * *

"You ever been to Mistral, Em?" 

Mercury's ceaseless questions bothered Emerald to no end. "No. I've been in Vale all my life. Never had enough money to leave."

"Neat," Mercury replied, obviously not listening. He was reading a comic book, his feet kicked up on the table. Emerald only stared out of the train window, wishing her semblance was teleportation, so she could will herself away from Mercury Black. "My old man went a couple of times - the kingdom's known for it's underground crime network, so it's meant for creeps like him." 

"And us," Emerald pointed out. "I guess we're criminals too." 

Mercury scoffed. "Maybe in their eyes, but to me this is just survival. There's nothin' wrong with that. At least that's how I see it." 

Emerald would never agree with him. 

But in a way,

 

 

 

 

-he was right. 

* * *

The first semester at Haven was dull. Cinder was in and out. Lionheart said that they should at least be keeping up with classes every now and then so it would not raise suspicion. Emerald volunteered to go with Cinder any time she left the dorms. 

Cinder always declined. 

"You're stuck with me, huh?" Mercury always laughed. "I guess Cinder can't stand you, huh?" 

"Shut up. You don't know what you're talking about." 

"Sure I do. Cinder's a lone wolf. She's cocky and stubborn. She thinks she handle everything alone. She's also got some boyfriend, so they probably bang it out every now and then." 

 _"Gross!"_ Emerald winced. "I don't want to hear about Cinder and Max's sex life. That's their business."

"Poor kid," Mercury grinned. "He's dancing with the devil." 

Emerald glowered.  _So are you._

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 _So are you._  

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are appreciated!


End file.
